Many of the things children do are difficult for us to manage.
There are some specific behaviors that I can help you address in a positive way to support building a relationship with the child and their peers.
My motto is always:
Connect before correct.
This means we must make an effort to understand and empathize with the child before we make an attempt to correct their behavior.
We must take the time to ask ourselves:
- Is this child is acting appropriately given their stage and age of development?
- What are the additional factors we must consider?
- Does this child have a supportive relationship with their caregivers at home?
- Are they experiencing an adverse life event?
- Do they have the necessary skills to be successful in this moment?
We are the leaders, the mentors and the role models. We must set children up for success. If you consistently have a child who is acting out and not making progress it is time to look at your behavior management strategies.
Supporting children towards having a positive image of themselves is our #1 goal.
We achieve that by building a strong relationship and believing in their innate goodness.
There are no ‘bad’ kids.
Only children who are lacking skills and language to communicate and achieve their goals.
It is our job as teachers and mentors to help them learn those skills.